Bernard Eerden

(9 January 1906 - 10 December 1986, The Netherlands)

Father Bernard Eerden was a priest, missionary and creator of promotional comic and children's books for the Society of African Missions. He was born Bernardus Jacobus Eerden was born in Millingen, Gelderland in 1906, where he also ran a home for the elderly from 1972 to 1986.

Eerden's text strip 'Avonturen van een Ashanti-jongen' ('Adventures of an Ashanti boy') appeared in four parts in 1949/50. The father continued his work for the society well into the 1960s with books like 'Komla op zoek naar regen'.

The slant of the Ashanti book has become very outdated now. In the afterword, B. Eerden wrote:"The Son of the Chief is a brave and honest boy. He refuses to deny his White Father en gives his life for the truth. Not all blacks in Africa are that brave. Even among Christians there are many who lead bad lives or still participate in all kinds of superstitions. This is is because the missionary cannot be everywhere at the same time. (...) We need more missionaries, more brave boys who are prepared to sacrifice everything for the poor heathens in Africa (...)."